Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-07
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The chart below shows the results of a survey about people’s coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five Australian cities.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The bar chart compares information about people's buying and drinking coffee and tea habits in five different Australian cities.
Overall, major people went to cafe for coffee and tea in Melbourne and Hobart city, while least number of city resident bought fresh coffee in Brisbane and Adelaide. However, around average 50% people bought instance coffee in all 5 cities.
At first, Melbourne and Hobart have the highest amount of people went to cafe for drinking coffee at approximately 63%. After following that, Sydney and Brisbane, it occupied by 61% and 55%. While, only 49% resident people went to cafe in Adelaide city. Moreover, 54% local people bought instance coffee in Hobart in last 4 weeks, after that Brisbane and Adelaide, it were around 52% and 50%. And Melbourne and Sydney city people's bought instance coffee less than 50%. On the other hand, all 5 city's people bought fresh coffee less than 45%. In Brisbane and Adelaide carried out less than 35%, Hobart situated between 35% to 40%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features of the coffee and tea habits across the five cities. You have successfully selected key data points to illustrate trends, such as the high cafe attendance in Melbourne and Hobart and the lower fresh coffee consumption across all cities. However, the analysis is somewhat descriptive and lacks a more sophisticated synthesis of the data. For instance, while you mention the figures, the comparison between the categories could be more clearly articulated to highlight the overall trends. The overview is present but could be more concise and focused on the most significant differences rather than listing specific percentages.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'However', and 'On the other hand' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions, such as 'At first' and 'After following that', which do not sound natural in this context. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when you list percentages for multiple cities in a single sentence, making it difficult to track which figure belongs to which city. Improving the variety and precision of your linking words would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'resident', 'local people', and 'consumption' (implied). However, there are several instances of inaccurate word choice and collocation, such as 'major people' instead of 'the majority of people', and 'instance coffee' instead of 'instant coffee'. The repetition of basic verbs like 'bought' and 'went' limits your ability to convey the data with precision. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more specific vocabulary related to data reporting, such as 'proportion', 'percentage', 'figure', or 'accounted for'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'major people went to cafe' (missing articles), 'it occupied by 61%' (incorrect passive voice), and 'city's people bought' (incorrect possessive usage). Subject-verb agreement is also inconsistent, such as 'it were around 52%'. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on article usage and correct verb forms would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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